Titan Quest Gold

World of Warcraft developer Blizzard is working on a free-to-play title, according to a Develop report.

The site's anonymous source added that the studio is looking to expand business opportunities and develop both subscription and freemium titles, but didn't offer any further detail.

Blizzard declined to comment on the story.

If true, this wouldn't be the first time that Blizzard has dipped its toes into free-to-play - you can currently play World of Warcraft until your character reaches level 20 without opening your wallet.

"For us, and even for EA with the Star Wars game, I think that the value that you get for the $15 a month is just unmatched. I don't think you can get that amount of entertainment value anywhere. I'd put the $15 up against anything," he told Eurogamer.

Aside from Diablo 3, new WOW expansion Mists of Pandaria and the next two chapters in the StarCraft 2 trilogy, Blizzard has confirmed work is underway on a brand new MMO codenamed Titan.

A job posting for the role of franchise development producer on Blizzard's next MMO indicates that the developer is considering product placement and possibly in-game advertising for the game, codenamed Titan.

As well as various branding and merchandising responsibilities, the producer is to "work with major consumer brands to facilitate product placement and licensing within the world of Blizzard Entertainment's next-gen MMO that enhances the gameplay experience."

This is the first indication, and a strong one, that Titan is not a fantasy game, but is set in the present day or the future - potentially a near future.

Blizzard is notoriously protective of the integrity of its fictions and would be unlikely to consider the move if it wasn't harmonious with the game's setting - as suggested by the requirement that the licensing "enhances the gameplay experience".

Back in 2005, a Blizzard April Fool satirised the deal between Sony Online Entertainment and Pizza Hut that allowed players to order pizza from within EverQuest 2.

Blizzard has previously stated that Titan is a brand new franchise with new art, design and lore, and not related to its fantastical StarCraft, Warcraft or Diablo universes; president Mike Morhaime called it "something that's completely new and fresh". No other indication of the game's genre, platforms, gameplay or release date has been given.

In an interview with Eurogamer World of Warcraft lead systems designer Greg Street discussed the development process behind Blizzard's next-gen MMO, codenamed Project Titan.

"We've had some key members go over to that team to work," he explained.

"When we interview new people, there's a chance they'll come under our team, and there's a chance they'll go onto that team. We meet with those guys quite regularly to say, 'Hey, here's an opportunity to do something different. Do we want to do it differently to how WOW did it, or are we happy with the way it worked out?'"

"We get to bounce ideas off each other that way," he added.

Asked if the WOW team was ever tempted to bring a Titan feature forward for an upcoming WOW expansion, Street highlighted one such recent occasion.

"The other day a designer was apologising, saying, 'Are you going to be mad if we steal that idea?'"

"Game designers steal ideas all the time. We build on what other games do. It's hard to look at many features in WOW and say, 'Blizzard were so brilliant for coming up with that in a vacuum.' We're building on what great game designers have done since they started making games."

Eurogamer attempted to nonchalantly ask just what that stolen Titan feature might be, but Blizzard sadly declined to comment further.

"It is a total ball to play. We think that the reach of that product is greater than anything that we've done before. We're very excited about that. I believe that it's the type of game that will have a very long life, much like World of Warcraft has."

Sams added: "The thing that we hope will happen is that it will not stop World of Warcraft but we believe will eclipse it."

Titan carries a rumoured release date of late 2013, according to a leaked internal slate.

We know about Titan, we know about two more StarCraft II games, we know about two more World of Warcraft expansions, we even know about a Diablo III expansion - so what is this "Unannounced Game Title" Blizzard is hiring for?

The "Software Engineer, Tools" will be a part of Blizzard's "newest game team". "This is a key role on a new and exciting project within the company," the job description declares.

The "Unannounced Game Title" has a section of its own on the Blizzard jobs board. Titan, the "Next-Gen MMO", is listed separately, as are World of Warcarft, StarCraft II and Diablo III.

Could this "Unannounced Game Title" be a completely new IP?

An alleged internal Blizzard release schedule leaked last November, detailing all releases up 2015. We don't know whether its genuine, so take with a pinch of rock salt.

Titan may be but a whisper on the lips of Blizzard - but the MMO to "eclipse" World of Warcraft is already playable.

"We're very confident in that product. It's an awesome one. We're playing it already," revealed Paul Sams, Blizzard COO, to Gamasutra.

"It is a total ball to play. We think that the reach of that product is greater than anything that we've done before. We're very excited about that. I believe that it's the type of game that will have a very long life, much like World of Warcraft has."

Sams added: "The thing that we hope will happen is that it will not stop World of Warcraft but we believe will eclipse it."

Titan carries a rumoured release date of late 2013, according to a leaked internal slate. But of course MMOs are subject to the wild winds of change - much more so than any other genre of game.

World of StarCraft? One fan got so excited that he started making World of StarCraft himself using the StarCraft II modding tools. Activision's lawyers shut him down, but only to change the name. Blizzard owns the name World of StarCraft already, you see - a pragmatic purchase or a revealing one?

"Without giving away any details, we have some of our most experienced MMO developers, people who spent years working on the World of WarCraft team, working on this project," he said.

"We're really trying to leverage all the lessons we learned through the years. Some of which we were able to address in World of Warcraft and others that maybe because of the design decisions we've made, you just can't address.

"So we're kind of taking a step back with all that knowledge to make something that's completely new and fresh. We're not trying to make a WOW sequel."